Abstract

You do not need to be a psychologist to know that reproductive health plays an important role in society and that individual psychological, behavioural and social factors affect reproductive health and vice versa. What you may not know is that psychological research has shown that health education, willpower, planning and the opportunity to exercise health behaviours such as moderate alcohol and caffeine consumption, not smoking or taking drugs and maintaining a balanced diet, can lead to a healthy reproductive lifestyle, much like it affects general health. Health behaviours can also free people from unnecessary and preventable damage (e.g. unsafe abortions) or disease (e.g. sexually transmitted infections); from the potential psychological consequences of these (depression, guilt, stigma); contribute to early detection and treatment (e.g. breast or testicular cancer); and reduced time off work and utilization of the health care system (van den Akker, 2012). Clearly, reproductive health matters.